3-day int’l dialogue on Rohingya crisis begins in Cox’s Bazar
A three-day international conference titled “Stakeholders’ Dialogue: Takeaway to the High-Level Conference on the Rohingya Situation” began on Sunday in Cox’s Bazar, bringing renewed global attention to the protracted Rohingya crisis.
The dialogue aims to produce concrete and actionable recommendations ahead of the upcoming high-level Rohingya conference set for September 30 in New York, on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Jointly organized by Office of the High Representative for Rohingya Issue and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event is being held in a hotel in Cox’s Bazar, the coastal district that continues to host over a million Rohingya refugees.
The dialogue has drawn participation from diplomats, international experts, UN officials, Rohingya representatives, humanitarian organizations and academics from both Bangladesh and abroad.
According to the organizers, a key focus of the conference is to amplify the voices of Rohingya men, women and youth, allowing the international community to hear directly from those most affected by the crisis.
The sessions will explore urgent issues such as the challenges in humanitarian funding, the evolving situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, confidence-building measures for voluntary repatriation, justice and accountability for past atrocities and long-term, sustainable solutions to the crisis.
On the final day, August 26, delegates are expected to visit Rohingya camps to gain firsthand insights into the living conditions and challenges faced by refugee population.
Nobel Laureate and Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus is expected to attend the event as chief guest on Monday.
Other key attendees include Disaster Management and Relief Adviser Faruk E Azam, High Representative and National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, UN Resident Coordinator (a.i.) Rana Flowers, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Thomas H Andrews, Head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) Nicholas Koumjian and UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner Raouf Mazou.
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain earlier outlined the interim government’s strategy on three fronts: securing continued international support, maintaining global visibility of the crisis and ensuring the safe, voluntary and dignified return of the Rohingya to their homeland.
He underscored the significance of Cox’s Bazar dialogue at a time when international funding is waning and violence in Myanmar is escalating.
The recommendations from this three-day event are expected to feed directly into the high-level conference in New York, which will bring together representatives from approximately 170 countries.
That gathering will focus on mobilizing global political will and humanitarian support to address the ongoing plight of Rohingyas and other persecuted minorities in Myanmar, as the crisis enters its eighth year.
